Within just a few breaths, the drifting mist at their feet had already risen to their faces.
Dragonite flapped its wings, trying to summon a gale to blow away the fog.
However, the mist seemed intangible. No matter how the air currents whipped, it always gathered and climbed with unwavering persistence.
When his vision was filled completely by a whiteness, a strange sensation washed over Lucas.
To put it poetically, it felt as if he was being peeled out of this world.
But the feeling passed in a flash—just the time it took for a blink, a thought, or a dazed moment, Lucas realized everything around him had changed.
"Dragonite..."
His first instinct was to check on Dragonite, but before the words left his lips, as he instinctively inhaled,
A rush of filthy, literally throat-burning air fought its way into his trachea—one used to the fresh breezes of Paldea and Alola. It was pampered, he'd admit.
It took but a split second for tears to well up uncontrollably in Lucas's eyes. He forcibly stopped breathing in panic and fear.
Dragonite was no better off, clutching at its own throat, giving Lucas a pitiful look, pleading for help.
At least he hadn't been separated from Dragonite—
The thought flashed across his mind. Not bothering to examine his surroundings, Lucas quickly took off his backpack and rummaged inside.
Just as he was about to pass out from holding his breath, he finally found a mask kit equipped with toxin filters, purification layers, and even an independent air supply, complete with matching portable oxygen.
Besides his own, he also had custom masks for different Pokémon sizes and species.
Thank goodness he had packed his space backpack and prepped for every possible situation, as always.
He often joked his bag was as jumbled as Doraemon's 4D pocket, but at this moment, it truly came in handy.
Once both he and Dragonite had their respective masks on, they heaved immense sighs of relief.
They'd survived this ordeal!
Only then did they take the time to survey their environment.
They had, of course, left the Ruins of the Other Side. The figures of Tapu Koko and Tapu Fini had vanished.
Around them sprawled a barren mountainous wasteland, thick black clouds blocking the sky, so it was impossible to tell whether it was night or day.
Add the hellish air he'd just choked on, "filthy" wasn't enough to describe the atmosphere.
Clearly, Tapu Fini had sent them to an extremely dire place.
This reminded Lucas of that anime episode, where Ash battled Tapu Koko on the way to school and found himself in a barren, sandy wasteland of ruins.
He recalled that the plot explained that Tapu Koko of Ash's world and a shiny Tapu Koko from a parallel world had connected.
Via some unknown mechanism, raging lightning transported Ash and Pikachu to a destroyed Melemele Island—also known as Ultra Ruin.
Because greedy humans monopolized and developed the land recklessly, nature vanished; even forests, oceans, and the air were poisoned.
The island guardians disappeared, leaving no trace. Humanity, oblivious, continued developing.
Until, one day, a creature called "Guzzlord" (the Glutton Pokémon, (UB-05: Glutton)) appeared beneath a shopping mall.
It destroyed everything, devouring all in sight, resulting in the wasteland Ash encountered.
As for where he was now, Lucas still wasn't sure.
But it definitely wasn't the Ultra Ruin that Ash and Pikachu experienced.
"I'll have to scout the area myself."
He decided, talking to himself, to investigate his surroundings and determine his location.
"Try to fly as high as possible."
Climbing onto Dragonite's back, his mask distorted his voice slightly.
"Bwooo~" Dragonite nodded, flapping its wings and ascending.
Their portable oxygen was limited—though refills were possible, he had no idea how long they'd need to stay, so he and Dragonite had to conserve it.
Intense activity would only burn through supplies faster, so Dragonite ascended slowly, giving Lucas a better chance to observe.
Even rising higher, the mountain they started from remained just as barren: not a single tree, not a sign of life.
Pushing even higher, peering through the grayish haze, Lucas saw endless mountains stretching to the horizon.
On these imposing, twisted rocky peaks, huge power cables wound and twisted like giant serpents, glowing faintly blue, as if still functioning.
Industrial relic–like architecture stretched between cliffs, settled a ways off from their position.
Thick black smoke rose into the sky, forming the cloud cover that kept the sun at bay.
Flashes of lightning danced within those shrouded stormclouds.
Astonishment would have to wait; as Dragonite climbed, Lucas could now see the island as a whole.
As expected: it was a large island.
But what was that endless expanse of blackness along the coast? Could it be the sea?
That possibility made Lucas frown deeply.
Then, as he took in the island's outline, a realization struck. Lucas's expression changed.
He had Dragonite hover in place and fished out a meticulously folded paper map of Alola from his waist pack.
Comparing the leftmost island, Lucas fell silent.
He could now guess where he was.
It was Poni Island—but not the Poni Island he knew. Rather, it was something akin to the Ultra Ruin… the Ultra Power Plant!
—
Meanwhile.
Far from Poni Island, atop an artificial island built on the polluted sea.
The Rainbow Happy Resorts Headquarters, inside the president's office.
A blue-glowing screen flickered; crimson flashes hinted at an alert.
"Who's… trespassed on my Poni Island?"
A big, hairy hand reached out, dismissing the warning.
The source of the deep voice, a rough–looking man, appeared, face shadowed.
—
After finishing his recon, Lucas had Dragonite land in a hidden rocky hollow.
He marked their entrance point on his Poni Island map: the rough terrain was still recognizable, so they wouldn't get lost.
"This place is concealed enough—we can use it as a temporary base."
Back on solid ground, Lucas changed Dragonite's spent oxygen tank, scowling at the empty bottle.
He realized the environmental hazards here were much harsher than first imagined.
He'd only spent about 30 minutes scouting, but oxygen consumption spiked with any exertion.
In battle, oxygen would run out even faster, and it was clear the air outside could not be breathed.
Compared to Ash's ruined Ultra Ruin—a simple wasteland after Guzzlord's rampage—the pollution here was far worse.
Adapting might be possible, but Lucas wasn't about to let Luxray or Dragonite risk their health trying.
Who knew what kind of mutations or diseases might result?
Already feeling a strange itch on his skin after landing, Lucas fished out a protective suit from his bag, putting it on immediately.
Dragonite didn't seem too bothered; however, its mask would likely limit the use of radiation-type moves.
Staying alert alongside Dragonite, Lucas took stock of the rocky hollow.
It was semi-enclosed, formed by collapsed boulders—at least safer than setting up camp outside, exposed.
But his key reason for choosing this spot was—
He'd picked the altar's original location on the Poni Island map: the Sunne/Altar of the Moone.
Running his gloved hand over the worn patterns on the ground, Lucas's gaze fell on a nearly shattered stone, a corner of a sun engraving just visible.
Who'd have thought this ruin was once the holiest place of Alola, storing the light that could evolve Cosmoem into Solgaleo or Lunala.
Now, only battered remains were left.
What on earth had Poni Island endured...
After releasing Luxray, Swampert, Milotic, and Dragonite's mother from their Poké Balls, fitting each with their own masks, Lucas pondered the bigger picture.
The answer was painfully clear.
Beyond here, at the other end of Poni Canyon, the power plant built atop those mountains was almost certainly the cause of this environmental disaster.
Black smog had darkened the sky. Just seeing it was horrifying.
An hour had passed, but aside from himself and Dragonite, Lucas hadn't seen a single wild Pokémon or human.
Perhaps there were survivors or Ultra Beasts near the plant.
But he wasn't about to risk heading there blind.
Air toxicity would weaken his team's combat abilities, and pushing deeper was reckless.
Instead, Lucas would rest, then head for Poni Breaker Coast to find this parallel world's Tapu Fini.
With Tapu Fini's "cleansing waters," he'd be free to fight at full strength.
Even if the true culprit appeared, he'd have a fighting chance.
With a rough plan in place, Lucas downed some bagged meal replacements—safer than exposing food to the toxic air—tidied his tracks, and recalled all Pokémon except Luxray, who'd keep watch.
He wouldn't fly this time; investigating the current situation had been risky enough.
Before setting out, he checked his Z-Ring and Z-Crystals.
Grassium Z, Groundium Z, Mimikium Z, Normal Z (from Tapu Lele), and Electrium Z from beating Tapu Koko.
All had lost their luster, dulled just like Ash's when he crossed worlds.
Most likely, the Tapus no longer watched over this land, or perhaps Necrozma's light had faded.
Still, Terastal Orbs and Mega Stones remained usable, but their powers couldn't be overused.
"If only I'd brought Victini, that wouldn't be a problem…"
He sighed. After orienting himself, Lucas and Luxray set off for Poni Breaker Coast.
It was a walk from Poni Canyon—but not too far. By foot, a day's travel would do, from dawn to dusk.
Exhausting, but with no difference between day and night in this world…
—
At the far end of Poni Canyon, amidst the mountain of power plants—
A bolt of lightning split the sky, briefly illuminating the scene.
Among the maze of huge cables, a star-headed, wire-limbed, conical unknown creature—clearly not human—burrowed into the rocks.
These beings appeared every few steps.
Synchronized to the flickering lights above the power plant, their star-shaped heads blinked in unison.
After a pause, several leaped skyward, scattering in all directions over Poni Island.
—
After a grueling trek with multiple oxygen changes, Lucas finally glimpsed the Poni Breaker Coast.
But rather than the ruins, something else weighed on his mind.
"This is… the sea."
Facing the endless, wholly dead, pitch-black ocean, Lucas and Luxray exchanged grave looks.
The once-vital ocean was now a lifeless void—this pollution was beyond anything.
Lucas could only sigh in sorrow.
Even the land air was suffocating. Despite Luxray's use of its powers, they hadn't encountered any signs of life, Pokémon or otherwise.
Just looking at the sea, survival was surely impossible for even hardy Magikarp or Feebas.
Just as Lucas prepared to turn away, a prompt system—usually silent unless he asked—suddenly appeared across his sight.
A line of golden characters materialized:
[12 o'clock, 500 meters to your right: There is life there that needs your help.]
Lucas immediately shouted to Luxray, "Follow me!"
…